sr78 wrote:It might be a defective or prototype controller, I'll try to get an image of it next time.
I think this bike can easily go beyond its capabilities with a new motor (450w) and battery combo,
I wonder if its possible to upgrade these in the future.

Sorry, I didn't think of that. Your controller might not be set properly, to the right diameter wheel, which would cause it to give false readings. I asked Melody about the 450 watt motors and she hinted they might be available in Canada in the near future. Bill

Upgrading the motor and battery might improve your acceleration and range but it will do nothing to increase your maximum assist speed. That is a function of the controller. We are already extremely lucky to have a controller which can be set for 40 kph. I am presently researching a way to install a CYCLE ANALYST on my Whistler, this will enable any maximum speed limited only by the motor power.

Melody is contacting Fallbrook regarding the N360 warranty issues. I'll let you know when/if she gets a response. I have to say that the response I got from Fallbrook was basically the brush-off. As much as I like the idea (and my wife liked the demo ride) I'm cooling off on this.

OK, here is the current word on the NuVinci N360 drive from Melody at Epik:

At this time, Epik cannot provide warranty coverage for N360 drives installed by Epik (OEM) prior to bike delivery. However, Melody has clearly stated that they WILL honour all the N360 drives for all previous purchasers who have already taken delivery of a new Epik bike with the Fallbrook N360 drive (so no concerns for those of you who have one now).

And, she says that Epik are entering into negotiations with Fallbrook with the objective of obtaining warranty authorization in the future. And she has offered to upgrade our bike if/when an arrangement is struck with Fallbrook and will let us know.

So, a bit disappointing, but I'm willing to wait and let the two companies sort this out. In the meantime, we pick up our new Logan (in red) tomorrow.

Been a while since I started this thread and Wasy has far surpassed me in mileage and experience, but just so everyone knows, my Whistler has continued to perform faultlessly. My sister has been riding it regularly and loving it! Her previous ebike was an early Schwinn and the Whistler is magnitudes superior!

I took it for a ride recently and found it to be running "as new".

Glad to see Epik has established a dealership in Toronto, should service be necessary, but so far, nothing has been required.

I haven't seen any mention of the Epik Facebook site here on ES, but it's worth checking out. Melody recently posted a cool video of one of her west coast Mtn biker friends doing a back flip off a ramp on her Whistler.

She seems to have quite a group of Epik Ebikers riding around Vancouver these days. Even the Mayor is riding one!

Take care everybody,

Mike

Last edited by magic carpet on Jun 29 2013 2:33pm, edited 1 time in total.

It is really good to hear from you again, Mike. You should know that it is this thread started by you which led me to buy my Epik. My main interest in it was the settable assist speed to 40 kph. I have since become greedy and wished for even more speed and investigated the Cycle Analyst, which can be set to almost any speed. But, unfortunately, it seems that the version of Cycle Analyst compatible with the Whistler does not have the function of programming speeds. Do you know anything about this? Bill

Sorry I can't help with the CA mods. I'm not into making my Ebikes street-illegal.

Toronto is waking up to the realization there are electrified bicycles amongst the cyclists and they aren't too happy about it.

EScooter enthusiasts refer to their scooters as "EBikes" and the public is unaware of the difference between 'electrically assisted bicycles' and 'electric scooters'.

EScooters illicit huge negative responses from drivers and cyclists, both and there is a crackdown beginning to make it's presence known around town.

An electrically assisted bicycle, that travels at bicycling speeds, can share bicycle paths, bicycle lanes, bicycle racks on buses and all other bicycling infrastructure and not even be noticed.

Making them faster will incur the wrath of cyclists and electrically assisted bicycles will be penalized by continuing to be classed in the same category as electric scooters, and restricted to motor vehicle routes.

I'm old enough to have experienced the moped craze of the 1960's and remember only too well the restrictive legislation that was introduced that made mopeds basically extinct.

I don't want the same thing to happen to electrically assisted bicycles.

Wonderful post Mike: I did a lot of research on the legality of my Whistler before I bought it since I found out it could be set to achieve 40 kph which appeared illegal as sin. But Canadian Federal Law states: A Power Assisted Bicycle shall not, by motor power alone, exceed a speed of 32 kilometres per hour on level ground without pedaling. My Whistler originally did not even have a throttle so it was impossible to achieve any speed without pedaling. Several evenings ago, I was cruising at 36 when a young man on an unassisted racing bike passed me. I pedaled harder until I hit 40 but I still could not catch him.

I recently had a test ride on a Stromer and was able to hit a top speed of 48 without any problem. The Stromer does not even have a throttle so it is impossible to exceed the legal speed limit on motor power only.

I am fortunate enough to live in an area which is urban, but there are farms and country roads within a 10 minute bike ride from my home. Just a couple of hours ago, I was passed by a bike with an illegal gasoline engine but it was in an unpopulated area where it would not attract attention. I would have stopped to chastise someone if they did this on a bike path in a large city.

Many things can be done with just a little common sense and discretion. Bill

Well, now that there are getting to be more and more Epik owners out there, I suppose many prospective purchasers are wondering about long term reliability of the bike. I was able to discover after a lot of searching, what is considered average mileage for bicycles and e-bikes. The average for a bicycle is 2000 miles per year or about 3000 kilometres and the average for an electric bicycle is about 3000 miles or 5000 kilometres. I just passed 10,000 kilometres yesterday after 5 months of ownership so I suppose I am qualified to give you a 2 year report. My Whistler runs as well as the day I bought it and the battery shows no sign of capacity loss after approximately 200 cycles. My chain and cassette needed replacing at 3000 kilometres but the second ones are still going strong. My upgraded Schwalbe Marathon E-Bike rated tires still do not show any wear. I think they will easily last to 20,000 kilometres even though the manufacturer claims a 15,000 kilometre life for them.

I could not imagine a better bike than my Epik. It stands toe to toe with automobile commuter mileage and just keeps going. If I were to purchase another electric bicycle, it would be another Whistler, but I would try to replace the handlebars and seat with those from the Banff if possible. With all the riding I do, I am getting nerve damage from all the weight on the palms of my hands. Mountain bike handlebars are only good for mountain bike racing; for normal riding they are both useless and dangerous. But our society is full of wannabe racers who value style and their own illusions over practicality. Unfortunately, the bike manufacturers cater to them because that is where the most money comes from. To quote Mr. T: "I pity the fool". Bill

So based on this forum and others I bought an Epik Whistler in Toronto just over a month ago and I wanted to report on the results:

Here's the good:

The bike is a dream to ride and mine came with the throttle which is a must-have. The pedal assist is smooth and it's true you can tweak it so it runs up to 40, but I would only suggest that if you're feeling illegal. I don't find the motor as loud as others have said here, you can barely here it when you're riding with the wind. I bought it for all the reasons outlined in this forum and it replaced a 1.5 hour bus commute with a 40 minute ride. I've done a 4 hour ride at the highest motor speed setting and the battery lasted the whole way, there and back. Some suggested replacing the offroad tires but I ride into the downtown core and it's always full of pot holes and construction work along my route, so I find the grips great for getting around.

And the not so good:

I was riding about 15 km along a trail to/from work when the nice weather hit and after about 300 clicks the motor started screeching, so I took it in and they replaced it for me right away. They're super nice in Toronto and I appreciate the support. Then, last week, as I was riding down a long hill the freakin' crank BOLT snapped in two sending the entire right pedal and crank arm flying, flipping me sideways and dragging my foot and arm under 50lbs of bike down the hill. Not fun. And now I have to take it in again. I must say after repair #2 I'm getting a little bit worried about this bike's long-term staying power. If it breaks a third time I'm going to look at other bikes. Other than this, my only general complaint would be it is a really hard bike to pedal without the assist on - you "could" use it without the motor but don't be fooled by any advertising as it wouldn't be "fun." It's a heavy beast and works best with the assist on - it feels like every flat and hill is a soft pedal downhill! That's the best part.

greenstuff wrote:So based on this forum and others I bought an Epik Whistler in Toronto just over a month ago and I wanted to report on the results:

And the not so good:

I was riding about 15 km along a trail to/from work when the nice weather hit and after about 300 clicks the motor started screeching, so I took it in and they replaced it for me right away. They're super nice in Toronto and I appreciate the support. Then, last week, as I was riding down a long hill the freakin' crank BOLT snapped in two sending the entire right pedal and crank arm flying, flipping me sideways and dragging my foot and arm under 50lbs of bike down the hill. Not fun. And now I have to take it in again. I must say after repair #2 I'm getting a little bit worried about this bike's long-term staying power. If it breaks a third time I'm going to look at other bikes. Other than this, my only general complaint would be it is a really hard bike to pedal without the assist on - you "could" use it without the motor but don't be fooled by any advertising as it wouldn't be "fun." It's a heavy beast and works best with the assist on - it feels like every flat and hill is a soft pedal downhill! That's the best part.

Both of these things are exactly what happened to me. At 2900 km. my bearings wore out and the motor no longer functioned. But it was very promptly fixed and has never happened again since. At 5000 km. my crank also snapped while I was taking off through an intersection and the left pedal and crank fell off. My motor was replaced with another one with a more durable crank. I have had no further problems and I have just passed 11,000 kilometres yesterday. I have not had the bike 6 months yet. My 6 month anniversary will be tomorrow. I bought the bike on January 16. I use the bike without motor quite often and I am a clinically obese 60 year old. It is a lot easier to pedal without power if you shift into a lower gear. We have a world class bicycle hill here called Mount Seymour. It is an average 7% grade for 12 kilometres non stop. Last week I rode up twice on my Whistler at level 2 assist. I hit 61 kph on the way down. I have never owned a car and so have not had a chance to contract pernicious auto disease which makes bicycle riding much more difficult.

[quote="greenstuff"]So based on this forum and others I bought an Epik Whistler in Toronto just over a month ago and I wanted to report on the results:

I've done a 4 hour ride at the highest motor speed setting and the battery lasted the whole way, there and back.

quote]
This is impossible. At the highest speed of 40 kilometres per hour the battery lasts less than 45 minutes. You can trust me on that because I don't think anyone in the world has ridden one of these as much as I have. Bill

greenstuff wrote:So based on this forum and others I bought an Epik Whistler in Toronto just over a month ago and I wanted to report on the results:

I've done a 4 hour ride at the highest motor speed setting and the battery lasted the whole way, there and back.

quote]
This is impossible. At the highest speed of 40 kilometres per hour the battery lasts less than 45 minutes. You can trust me on that because I don't think anyone in the world has ridden one of these as much as I have. Bill

Um, no Wasy, it's quite possible. Greenstuff says they had the highest LEVEL of assist, not the HIGHEST SPEED. The Whistler is capable of carrying the rider for four hours if one is travelling at less than top speed. Maybe 50 k at 15 kph.

greenstuff wrote:So based on this forum and others I bought an Epik Whistler in Toronto just over a month ago and I wanted to report on the results:

I've done a 4 hour ride at the highest motor speed setting and the battery lasted the whole way, there and back.

quote]
This is impossible. At the highest speed of 40 kilometres per hour the battery lasts less than 45 minutes. You can trust me on that because I don't think anyone in the world has ridden one of these as much as I have. Bill

Um, no Wasy, it's quite possible. Greenstuff says they had the highest LEVEL of assist, not the HIGHEST SPEED. The Whistler is capable of carrying the rider for four hours if one is travelling at less than top speed. Maybe 50 k at 15 kph.

I believe you owe Greenstuff an apology.

Mike

Um, no Mike, it's not. I presume the highest level to mean level 5. At level 5 there is a limit to how slowly you can go because the pedals tend to spin so fast that it becomes uncomfortable. Even if you can keep control at level 5 at 15kph you still will not get the battery charge to last for 4 hours. If you want the battery charge to last for 4 hours you must be at level 3 or lower. If you want to comfortably cruise at 15 kph or lower, you must be at level 2, otherwise there is no resistance to the pedals and you just spin uncomfortably and perhaps uncontrollably. I have tried this dozens of times and I stand by my statement. I think maybe Greenstuff meant to say something else and I did not understand; if that is the case, I apologize to Greenstuff. Bill

At the risk of my foot being stuck in my mouth, Mike, you made me curious enough to experiment and I have discovered a technique whereby it is possible to last for 4 hours at level 5. But it involves pedalling without power for fully three quarters of the time so it does not really qualify. If I set the maximum speed to only 15kph and ride at level 5, it is possible to go for 4 hours but most of that will involve riding without power past 15kph. I doubt very much that this is the way Greenstuff rode. I would very much enjoy hearing more details from Greenstuff . Meanwhile, setting a low maximum speed and using the throttle is an excellent way to pulse and glide (a favourite hypermiling technique) but I have not tried it for any length of time because riding a bike without pedalling seems unnatural to me. Bill

If this is meant for me, I already do it. I always keep my bike indoors with the battery attached.

Progress Report: August 16 will be 7 months since I bought my bike and I have 13,500 km. on it so far. The present chain and cassette have over 10,000 km. on them so I will be taking my bike in today for a possible new chain and a tune up. This will be my second tune up. The last one was at 8300 km. and I may need my brake pads replaced. I have no other issues with the bike; it still runs like new. The tires are hardly showing any wear at all and I am sure they will last until 20,000 km. even though the manufacturer only rates them for 15,000. I have not yet had any flat tires with these (hope my luck holds).

I want to thank you again Mike; this thread of yours is what originally prompted me to buy the best bike I ever had and quite possibly the best bike there is. Bill

August 16 will be 7 months since I bought my bike and I have 13,500 km. on it so far.

Amazing stat, Bill. It was your posts here that convinced me to buy the Logan. I have not been able to contribute anything as we have been in Europe since June, but will be back in PR (and riding again) in September. Have seen a few e-Bikes, most of them with a front hub motor.

wsw wrote: Have seen a few e-Bikes, most of them with a front hub motor.

The mid drive motor has numerous advantages except that it is very hard on the drive train. I took my bike in for service today and it requires a new chain and cassette. The present ones lasted more than 10,000 kilometres but new ones will be put on which are even better. I also need new brake pads which is a natural product of faster speed on an e-bike. My maintenance costs so far on my Whistler amount to 2.4 cents/kilometre. My mileage divided into all the money I have spent on the bike works out to 15.9 cents/kilometre but I still have a like new bike and the cost goes down the more I ride it. I ran into Melody who just happened to be at the bike shop and she arranged for me to meet her father next Monday. He is the one who invented the Achiever motor and I am very much looking forward to a technical discussion with him. I am trying to get Epik to bring their 450 watt motor to Canada and/or increase their voltage to 48 for more power. Bill

ask for the patent#
it'd be nice if they provided that on the epik motor webpage.

Kick down the barricades Listen what the kids say.
From time to time people change their minds But the Frock is here to stay.
I've seen it all from the bottom to the top Everywhere I go the kids wanna Frock.
Around the world or around the block Everywhere I go the kids wanna Frock.

ask for the patent#
it'd be nice if they provided that on the epik motor webpage.

Many people question the fact that a Canadian company uses a patented motor which is actually from China. But we cleared this up a long time ago when I found out that Melody's father is the actual owner of Achiever and the motor is his invention. That is why Epik bikes are the same as Achiever bikes all over the world. Thus, any patent would be by Achiever and not by Epik. Epik is the Canadian branch of Achiever bikes. To keep re-hashing this accomplishes nothing more than stirring up trouble on this thread. Can you spell T-R-O-L-L? Bill

Toorbough ULL-Zeveigh wrote:
ask for the patent#
it'd be nice if they provided that on the epik motor webpage.

I am curious to know why you are so OBSESSED WITH THE PATENT. Do you think someone is being lied to or misled? All the facts have been revealed but you still persist with your pointless trolling. WHY? Bill

so that would be a no then, figures.
asking a simple straight-forward question you'd prefer not to hear isn't trolling by a long shot.
trying to avoid the answer, in the hope of deflecting attention by attacking the person asking the embarassing question is a lot closer.
best defence is a good offence & all that rot, an effective time tested tactic used by politicians & other con-men the world over.

but i'm impressed you felt it required two stabs to deliver the same post.
there's an edit button, click it.
if you can't figure it out get your mom to help you.

DON'T abuse the quote button; include only as much as is necessary for context. This includes pictures

Kick down the barricades Listen what the kids say.
From time to time people change their minds But the Frock is here to stay.
I've seen it all from the bottom to the top Everywhere I go the kids wanna Frock.
Around the world or around the block Everywhere I go the kids wanna Frock.

[quote="Toorbough ULL-Zeveigh"]
I am asking a simple straight-forward question ,you are trying to avoid the answer,
if you can't figure it out get your mom to help you. quote]
I am curious to know why you are so OBSESSED WITH THE PATENT. Do you think someone is being lied to or misled? All the facts have been revealed but you still persist with your pointless trolling. WHY? Bill